Star Trek: Start to Finish

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (Memory Alpha; Video) is that episode with the people who are half-white and half-black that’s all allegorical.

I don’t really know what to say about this episode. The allegory is so naked, so unsubtle, so ham-fisted that what could be an interesting way to tell a story you couldn’t otherwise tell instead becomes a monotonous slog through an hour.

But I hesitate because I don’t know how much my being fifty years removed from the situation is coloring my perception. How daring a gambit was this when it aired? How far did this push the envelope?

Y’see, these aliens hate each other because they’re black on opposite sides. And their hate is repulsive: they have been chasing each other for 50,000 years to settle old scores. The crew thinks it’s ridiculous, and they want to get back to doing what they’re supposed to do. All that is fine. The little twist ending is fine. Even the silly use godlike powers is fine.

But it’s our old enemy pacing that gets us. This is a ten minute idea played out in a one hour show. There’s nothing interesting that happens after the opening gambit, and the crew literally spends the last ten minutes sitting in the bridge watching monitors as the climax happens to other people. Then they just fly away.

Perhaps that’s the most disturbing part: the crew flat out says that prejudice is a thing of the past, that they have no idea what it’s like, and that the human race has overcome it. Despite being a flat out lie, this inculcates them from learning anything from the experience. The crew is our stand-in as an audience; they represent us in the story. Letting them rise above these petty squabbles without effort allows us to pretend to be able to do likewise. It allows us to enjoy our bigotry while pretending that it doesn’t exist, and that’s all the more poisonous.

How much does our fifty years removal allow us to poisonously pretend the same?

Grade

C-

Spock’s Brain

Spock’s Brain (Memory Alpha; HD Video) has a premise as ridiculous as it’s title: a near-naked woman beams aboard the Enterprise from an advanced ship and steals Spock’s brain from out of his head.

Far more important, though, is that this is the first episode of season three, and they switched to blue titles instead of yellow, which is really wigging me out. As if that wasn’t enough, Kirk is thin and Scotty has weird hair.

Back in the fake world, Kirk is setting out to find Spock’s brain within the twenty-four hours Spock’s body can live on its own. They chase the ship to a system with three inhabitable planets that might be hiding the McGuffin. There’s a genuinely neat scene where Kirk, Chekov, Sulu and Uhura all interact as if the rest of the crew matters and it’s not all about Kirk, Spock and Bones. This glimpse of a more inclusive decision-making process reminds me a lot of the Next Generation conference room scenes where all the major characters get together to talk through the problem at hand. Those scenes are a staple of Next Gen but are almost nonexistent in this series.

But then we jump back to Kirk and Bones searching for Spock, with Scotty in tow as a replacement technical wizard. It’s kind of sad that Scotty gets short shrift in so many episodes; Doohan is capable of doing so much with the character, and whenever he’s given the chance we get some great performances, but he just can’t get enough screen time to make it work.

This is another episode that heavily plays on Kirk’s loyalty to his friend, and it treads that already well-trod ground without kicking up any new dust.

But in spite of the ridiculous premise and a bland reveal, this episode is good. Doohan and Shatner perform well, Kelley gets a chance to play his usual love/hate relationship with Spock, and the villainess is neither over the top nor banal.

Best bit of ironic dialog

“I certainly did notice the delightful ass…pects”

Grade

A-

The Trouble with Tribbles

The Trouble with Tribbles (Memory Alpha; SD Video) is a great concept with a whole lot of teh funnies, but a very poorly constructed episode.

We start with a very clunky exposition scene with Kirk, Spock, and Chekov talking in the conference room. Where are we going? Space Station K7! Why are we going there? To prove we’re better than the Klingons!

Wait! A Priority One Alert Call! Says Kirk, “we can only assume the Klingons have attacked.” You have an alert call that leaves you making assumptions about what has happened? Seriously? Maybe you should send actual words.

When the Enterprise reaches the station, they find that it’s just the panicky Undersecretary of Agricultural Affairs Nilz Baris, who wants a few more security guards, if anyone happens to have them.

Wait, wasn’t this episode supposed to have Tribbles in it?

Why, yes. Let’s have a poorly edited scene where Uhura and Chekov overhear a long bartering conversation about the price of Tribbles.

Oh, it is quite a long scene, isn’t it?

And quite pointless, too. Upshot: Uhura gets a Tribble.

Wait, Klingons! A Klingon ship appeared! And they have demands! They want… shore leave! [Cue dramatic chord]

Aside: the Klingon captain is the squire of Gothos.

Now there’s drinking! In this corner: Scotty has scotch, a man’s drink. In that corner, Chekov has vodka, a real drink! Are everyone’s cultural stereotypes firmly fastened? FIGHT!

Wait, you’re fighting the Klingons! That could start an international incident!

Wait, you’re still fighting the Klingons? This fight is a little long, here.

Meanwhile, on the Enterprise:

McCoy: Spock, I may not know much about these little Tribbles yet, but I have discovered one thing.
Spock: Oh?
McCoy: I like them. Better than I like you.
Spock: They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic.
McCoy: What’s that?
Spock: They do not talk too much.

Begin Spoilers

But McCoy and Spock do discover something: the Tribbles are everywhere! Like, in the grain that Baris is so eager to protect! (If you forgot who Baris is, he’s the one who issued to Priority One Alert looking for security guards way back in Act One. He’s interesting in that he and Kirk are just outright mean to each other, which is a relationship dynamic that this show doesn’t use very often, especially between high-ranking officials).

But back to the Tribbles! They’ve eaten all the grain! Without it, the Federation can’t prove that they’re better than the Klingons! Oh no! It looks bleak, but then we learn that the grain was poisoned in a nefarious Klingon plot, to which the Klingon ship is an extraneous and altogether uninterested side party. This, somehow, makes things better.

Speaking of better, the Enterprise is Tribble free! McCoy, Spock and Scotty just rounded up all the little buggers and transported them onto the Klingon ship! International incident that we narrowly avoided earlier in the episode: bring it on!

End Spoilers

Grade

B+; this episode is simply different than anything else. It’s whimsical and funny, and it goes to great lengths not to take itself too seriously. But given an even cursory glance it kind of falls apart. Still, it’s The Trouble with Tribbles; how can you grade that badly?

Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror (Memory Alpha; SD Video) is that episode where they go to the alternate universe where everyone has a goatee.

Except only Spock has a goatee.

Now, everyone remembers the savage-alternate-universe thing, but it’s played rather nicely as a foil against the planet this episode takes place in orbit of. The inhabitants are a peaceful people who are refusing to give their dilithium crystals to the Federation, because they as a people are pacifists. The episode begins with Kirk’s assurance that the Federation can be trusted with the crystals, since they are good guys. And immediately we’re thrown into the goatee universe, where no one is a good guy.

Begin Spoilers

Except the one guy with a goatee. Chekov attempts to assassinate Kirk, and fails. Sulu does, too. So all the foreigners are sinister in the mirror universe, but the jewish guy is alright. There’s some subtext here, and it’s not buried very deep.

End Spoilers

There’s also a nice talk by Kirk about society, and how harmonious living is beneficial for all and sustainable, whereas the kill-or-be-killed mirror universe is destined for destruction down it’s path of constant sorrow. I read this as Kirk’s preëmptive rhetorical strike against the neoconservatives. Especially this bit, which seems rather prophetic:

Kirk: Conquest is easy; control is not. We may have bitten off more than we can chew.

Also, Uhura is actually important this episode. She gets not one but two good scenes, and a fight sequence. She almost but doesn’t say that she’s frightened. She actually makes a difference.

And Marlena is another female character who’s interesting and strong and smart, who takes a stand. She’s a love interest, but not really; her interest is the other Kirk, and the internal conflict she plays with “our” Kirk is well done.

All told, this is a strong episode. The mirror universe is cheesy, but not really more so than the “actual” universe. And the mechanics for interdimensional travel are all sorts of vague while also being a snap for the computer to calculate. But if you overlook that, it’s well-constructed and does a fine job.

Grade

A

Amok Time

Amok Time (Memory Alpha; SD Video) is that one episode where Spock goes into heat and goes crazier than a Aldebran Shellmouth.

Spock needs to get back to Vulcan. And by “needs” I mean “orders the ship to redirect there behind Kirk’s back.” By “needs” I mean “can’t recall subverting the chain of command because he’s all crazy on the inside.”

Speaking of crazy, season two is crazy! They moved the writer and director credits to the opening credits. This makes perfect sense; the writing is the strongest part of this show. And they picked up dozens of props that now line all the walls, making the formerly utilitarian crew quarters look like something that people live in. And they got moodier lighting and weirder music.

They even bought an entire new cast member, Chekov! And they gave him some good lines:

Sulu: How do you figure it, Chekov? First we’re going to Vulcan. Then we’re going to Altair. Then we’re headed to Vulcan again, and now we’re headed back to Altair.
Chekov: I think I’m going to get space sick.

Another new thing they brought in is the Vulcan salute. We see it here when Spock finally gets to Vulcan and greets the others.

But they didn’t buy any acting lessons for Shatner. In the most glaring example of der haltingspreken yet, we get this beautiful line:

Kirk: Why…
must he die?
Why…
within eight days?
Explain!

However, amidst all this novelty is a pretty great story. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are all established characters at this point, and this episode makes perfect use of them, really fleshing out the relationship that they share. This trio is what makes Trek approachable, and here they are in fine form at this task. It was perfect to slot this in as episode one of the new season; new viewers will have an easy in and old viewers will remember what they liked.

Grade

A

The City on the Edge of Forever

The City on the Edge of Forever (Memory Alpha; SD Video) has been one of the episodes that I’ve been looking forward to: it won a Hugo, and it’s got a little hype in the air.

It lives up to it.

The Enterprise is mapping out some temporal disturbances when McCoy accidentally overdoses on cordrazine and goes super-crazy paranoid. McCoy beams down to the planet that is the source of the disturbances and an away team follows. On the planet is the Guardian of Forever, that big oddly-shaped circle thing. It’s the cause of the disturbances.

Begin Spoilers

McCoy, trying to escape from the away team for fear that they’ll kill him (paranoid delusions!) jumps through. The Guardian breaks the news to the away team:

The Guardian of Forever: Your vessel, your beginning, all that you knew… is gone.
Kirk: McCoy… has somehow… changed history.
Scotty: You mean we’re stranded down here?
Spock: With no past, no future.
Uhura: Captain, I’m frightened.

Really, Uhura? Nice way to speak the subtext, there.

So Kirk and Spock have to jump back in time and right history. They find the pivot point, and it’s a dreamer named Edith Keeler, whom Kirk promptly and inconveniently falls in love with. But to right the timeline, she must die.

End Spoilers

This really is a great episode. It’s got humor, it’s got conflict of interest, and you really do care for the characters. Sure, Kirk overacts a ton on some parts, and as always the sets and costumes are sad by today’s standards, but the story is good and incredibly rich; this episode has no problem filling out it’s time allotment (and Ellison wanted a B plot!).

And of course, McCoy gets the good lines:

McCoy: I am Leonard H. McCoy, Senior Medical Officer aboard the U S S Enterprise.
Edith: I don’t mean to disbelieve you, but that’s hardly a navy uniform.
McCoy: Quite all right. That’s quite all right, dear. Because I don’t believe in you, either.

But the power of this episode is the moral calculus it imposes on the characters. Is the price for righting the timeline worth it? Are untold millions of people lay in the future, do they have the same moral weight as the people around you right now?

What I would have liked to see was a bit more discussion about this. Instead, we just get anguish. That’s totally correct, but it’s only the half of the story that comes after the decision; the lead-in is just as important.

In any case, this episode deserves all the accolades it’s garnished, and I’m not about to withhold my own meager addition.

Grade

A+